Thursday, February 02, 2017

Where You Let Him In

Someone commented on my statement to the Bnei Noah that G-d is everywhere. He pointed out that there is a Chassidic teaching that G-d is, "Wherever you let Him in." So which is it? Is G-d actually everywhere - up, down, all around, - or do I have to do something to let Him be everywhere?

The Zohar teaches "There is no place devoid of G-d."[i] Hashem is Infinite. The infinite by definition is endless, fills and surrounds all. In fact there is nothing else than G-d,[ii] so obviously G-d has to be everywhere.

Then what does that Chassidic teaching mean that G-d is wherever you let Him in? "Letting G-d in," means becoming aware of His Presence… to be conscious that Hashem is right there with you. If you do not "allow Him in" you will live a life unaware that He is actually present, as if He is far away and not really involved with your moment to moment life.

How do we "let Him in"? One simple way is to talk to G-d. Talk to Him when you are walking down the street or when you are sitting in your office. Speak to Him as if you were speaking to your beloved father who is standing just a few inches in front of you. Thank Him for all the good that He has given you. Praise His Greatness… also tell Him what you need. Let the Omnipresent One into your life.

10
comments:

But by speaking to Him as a beloved father aren't you limiting Him? Is it about Him or about His name?

King David was able to write the Psalms because he had ruah hakodesh. He knew how 'H wanted to be praised. Those who set the fixed prayers knew how 'H wanted us to ask for our needs.

So how can we, today, speak to him any other way then that which we are specifically instructed? Could let Him in refer to contemplating his oneness such that it becomes real to us. Not just an intellectual concept. Thereby letting 'Him' in, Him (infinite) not a name or aspect (finite).

Do not understand why it's so difficult for someone to understand what it means by letting Him in. Letting him in means realizing that there is only H' and as Jews, we need to return to our roots and cling only to Him and observe our Torah; this is letting HIM in! This goes for the rest of humanity also. The ben Noach can attach himself to our Creator by living within the 7 Laws of Noach and relying upon Him. The day will come when the whole world will know there is ONLY G-D!

In this day and age, there are so many who call themselves athiests because they think man knows it all. In other words, they don't need to believe in anything other than themselves and 'humanity'. This is why we Jews are taught from childhood, that we must/need to teach our children from day one wherever we are and whatever we're doing, that we must love Hashem with all our hearts, souls and might/essence/resources because HE is Everywhere and is Everything. Letting HIM in means that we make HIM our focus and know that everything we have is from HIM Alone and if we are with Him, He will surely be there for us.

Jews serve H' by the Commandments from our Torah that He gave to us as a Gift and a Blessing, and we can always speak to Him, pour our hearts out to Him anytime and anywhere. We are not on the level of King David or any of our holy Sages and Prophets that we need to write poetry and songs of praise. HE knows all, sees all and hears us all, each to his/her own capacity!

When I use this argument with Muslims, they reject this notion of HaShem's omnipresence by asking, "Is Allah in our defecation? Is Allah in our excrement? Is Allah in the toilet? We cannot be like Allah! Allah is infinite, but He cannot exist as part of the finite, because He is infinite."

If you can wrap your head around the latter statement, then ... I applaud you, because I don't understand it. ::::heavy sigh:::: And, since Muslims believe we cannot be like the Deity, that explains why they can murder people and why they can't exercise mercy. Sure, Allah is all merciful, but ... since we can't be like Allah ... we don't have to be merciful. Yep, you've gotta love Islam! It's the religion of peace and tolerance!

Yes, Amit Kumar. I used that very justification - that one's waste is just made up of various chemical elements, but the Muslims rejected this notion. The Sikh and Hasidic Jews don't seem to have a problem with the Deity concealing Himself within and clothing Himself in His Creation. Even certain Sufi Muslims accept this teaching that the Deity is everywhere and in everything. Sunni Islam regards this teaching a shirk (idolatry). It's for this same reason that the Sunni reject the Twelve Imams of Shi'a Islam.

To me it sounds like pantheism, only Hasidic Jewish style. I cannot understand the Jewish concept of 'oneness' of Hashem when each and everyone of us must picture Hashem and his attributes in a different way. And how He speaks, hears, savours animal sacrifices odours, without having any physicality or form, ie brains, heart, ears, nose, mouth. How can us mere mortals ever truly understand all this esoteric stuff?

Maybe it just take a real Yiddishe neshamah to grasp our natural connection to our Creator. That's why we got the Torah! The other nations were asked first but all had excuses. Reading some of the above comments and they way their thought processes work answers it all.

Actually, it's more like panentheism—the belief that the Deity is greater than the creation, which He also permeates (and interpenetrates). Pantheism equates the Deity with the universe and tolerates the worship of all deities. Judaism is not pantheistic. Hasidic Judaism is a panentheistic monotheism. In other words, the Deity permeates everything, but He also extends beyond and is greater than His creation. Therein is the paradox of Judaism, our individuality and HaShem's absolute oneness.

In Jewish Hasidism, those who attain complete self-nullification (bitul) and are able to walk in a state of perpetual devekut (attachment) to the Divine are considered to be Tzaddikim (Righteous Ones).

The following is an excerpt from Gregory Blann's book, "The Garden of Mystic Love: The Origin and Formation of the Great Sufi Orders," p. 250:

There are seven levels of the self (nafs). The seventh level is called the 'pure self' or the 'perfected self.' It also goes by the Arabic term, 'nafs al-baqiyya'; or sometimes the name is combined as 'al-nafs al-safiyya wa kamila,' reflecting the station of the perfect human being, 'al-Insan-i-Kamil.'

In English, it could also be called the completed self or the nafs which is totally purified of everything other than its essential divine nature. At this station of 'qutbiyya' (the pole or axis), we could say that one discovers (or is "given by Allah") not just the divine attributes and awareness, but actually receives the gift of Allah's own blessed Selfhood, or Zat (the Divine Essence or "I am-ness"). After this, there is no longer a question of twoness or duality; there is only One.

As Hilmi Efendi says: At this stage the 'wali ul-kamil' (the highest saint) "becomes one in the multiplicity and multiple in the One. Whoever sees this blessed person, the remembrance of Allah will spontaneously enter their heart. At this stage, one's actions are not one's own; however one responds to others, whether in gentleness or severity, one's response reflects exactly what the other's behavior has warranted.

If one at this level accepts someone, it is Allah's acceptance. Such a one has no further need for surrender and no personal desire left, understanding fully that there is only One, that 'All is Hu' (the genderless Divine Essence) and that Everything is passing while 'only Allah's countenance remains.'"

As for worship, Hilmi Efendi adds, "such a one cannot fall behind, since the worship is now in every part of the body, having penetrated every cell; yet this one is still full of humility." He concludes, "What more can one say? Such a soul is Haqq with Haqq (Divine Truth)."

Obviously, the seventh level is extremely rare and exalted; it has been called "a station of mystery between the Essence and the servant", a condition which is truly beyond description. It is the level of pure unity and supreme delight, which can be compared to the condition of the blessed Prophet Muhammad when, during his 'miraj,' he attained to such a degree of divine nearness as to be described as "closer than Two Bows-Lengths," or "closer to Allah than one is to oneself."

The 'nafs al-safiyya' is the station of messengers and prophets, the stage of 'riza' (complete satisfaction); its color is pure black and its divine name is 'al-Qahhar,' the All-Sovereign, Triumphant One. One of the signs of the person who has attained the seventh level is that they are capable of raising others from the dead by the Divine Power....